The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones. It's the eternal rock and roll debate. But maybe that debate has been SETTLED.
An indie rocker named Chris Dalla Riva decided to investigate which band has been more influential. He used Wikipedia's list of 479 mainstream rock performers to see which artists they named as influences.
And the Beatles WON. But the Stones didn't even come in second . . . Led Zeppelin did.
Here are the results:
1. The Beatles: 210 mentions
2. Led Zeppelin: 151
3. The Rolling Stones: 146
4. U2: 139
5. David Bowie: 127
6. Bob Dylan: 125
7. Elton John: 114
8. Queen: 114
9. Jimi Hendrix: 112
10. Red Hot Chili Peppers: 112
The list actually goes to 15. The last five, in this order, are Bruce Springsteen, Green Day, Aerosmith, The Who, and Metallica.
(You can read more on Chris' investigation here.)